The antics of a few get football a bad name, hiding the fact that there are a lot
of nice people in the game. One of them was Wilf Fewtrell, secretary of
the Reading YMCA team for fifty years, who died last week. Wilf was a fan of this
column and always talked about it when we met. I am probably the only
surviving referee who remembers Wilf as a player. A gentleman on the field as
well as off.
Another nice person lost to us is Pat Monagham who died whilst
refereeing a local match towards the end of last year. In the many tributes I
read, I saw no mention of Pat's commitment to school's football. The English
School's FA often turned to Pat when they had a regional final in the area. His
smiling, quietly authoritative manner, was ideal for such matches. It's worth
remembering that these matches carry no fee.
I ran the line to Pat at a couple of games at the end of last season. One of these
was the final of the Hobbs Cup at Bisham Abbey. This was a boys game. The
very next evening we were together again at Alton Town ground for the semi-
final of the under 16 girls County Championships, Hampshire v Kent. Anyone
who thinks girls can't play football should have been there that night. The girls
were skilful, sporting and committed, with Hampshire finally winning an
entertaining game by the odd goal in three.
We are told that women's football is the fastest growing sport in the country
and certainly it seems to be taking hold here in Reading. Women's football have
their own World Cup, but sadly England have yet to reach the final stages, and it is
an Olympic sport.
One of the biggest box office successes last year was 'Bend it
like Beckham', the story of a woman's football team. So the game is well
established but what we need is more women referees.
As well as calling for women footballers to wear shorter tighter shorts, another clanger by FIFA
President Sepp Blatter last week was saying women play to different rules.
That's absolute nonsense. Women can referee in the man's game or the woman's
and there is no limit how far they can go.
The highest placed woman in this
country so far has been Wendy Toms, who Royals fans might remember as
assistant referee at the Madejski Stadium, flagging for an offence that annulled a
Brighton goal which it seemed had robbed Reading of automatic promotion. We
have our own local success story. Alison Chapman who has ploughed her career
path through the men's game but last season was assistant referee at the
Women's FA Cup Final and is a FIFA assistant referee. What we men wouldn't
give to wear the FIFA badge.
How do you start? You'll need to take the FA course and pass the referee's
examination. In Reading our present course is full but there are a few vacancies
for the next one starting in September. If you want full details, and this goes for
men as well, look on our website readingrefs.org.uk or phone Brian Wratten on
978 2681.
Women can also progress beyond just refereeing. The FA Regional
Manager - Refeees for the Southern Region, which includes Berks & Bucks, is
Janie Frampton. As I am an FA Licensed Referee Instructor, technically she is
my boss.
Janie played before taking up refereeing, when she officiated on the
Screwfix Western League and the Women's Premier League. She also refereed
the Women's FA Cup Final. In case you think she is some career obsessed
harridan, let me tell you that Janie is a married lady with four children and one of
the nicest people around. It just goes to show what I was saying, there are a lot
of nice people in football.
Dick Sawdon Smith